Southern Italy treasures for tourists

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• Spa Café on the cliff – a local chef who runs the small buffet has family who live in New Jersey but those relatives prefer to visit him in Ischia! For 10 Euros a plate plus a beverage you get an assortment of roasted yellow and red peppers in garlic and olive oil, potato salad, green beans, fresh anchovies, braised artichokes, mushrooms and a slice of warm Italian hearth bread. The view from the spa cliffside café came with the seaside and orange trees. Europeans really know how to enjoy their holiday at thermal spas. For the better part of the afternoon I played in the seawater pools and hot and cold dipping pools that are therapeutic for circulation. I could have stayed here a few more days easily.

• Granita – on those glorious summer afternoons when as a tourist you look for something cool go for the granita! Waiting for the next ferry back to Sorrento, I strolled past restaurants and shops along the walk back to the ferry. Granita is a refreshing and lighter alternative to its cousin gelato and has no milk or butter in the ingredients. In Ischia, there is a small café on the small marina facing the harbor that shaves it fresh. Try the melon, or apple or lemon flavor. It was the perfect way to wind down after a day basking in the sun and enjoying the benefits of thermal spa waters at the other end of the island.

• Train tickets - Note to self: getting to Rome from long distance requires at least a day in advance ticket purchase for a morning ride. The ticket you buy can actually be exchanged for a different train at an earlier time but you may pay for standing room only if no seats are available. While waiting for a 'regional' train in Naples I was lucky enough to share a table at the very busy café with two Italian women about to embark on a week vacation in Ischia. They were ready to get away from their kids who have not yet married off and bug them on a daily basis. One of the ladies gave me a great local tip that if you do buy a standing room only ticket, just look for empty seats to sit in on the train and hop around to different seats if someone comes to claim yours. A simple solution to train travel on a busy holiday weekend or high season travel. The ticket police only really want to see the validation stamp.

• Mostly, I am reminded of the Italian passion for life, exuberance, spontaneity, instant and lasting friendship when visiting Italy. This was evident on the trains that run through all the smaller towns from Naples to Sorrento, about an hour ride. Every day while taking the train there were musicians playing on the trains. Some were a family even. All of them played the accordion funny enough. The locals knew them and applauded them all in chorus with the tourists. Il dolce far niente. . . .

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